Vincent Pons

Born in 1983, Pons spent most of his schooling and higher education in France. After completing his secondary education in Alsace, he was admitted at École normale supérieure (Paris) in 2003.{{Cite web |last=Rotman |first=Charlotte |title=Europe ? Yes, we can |url=https://www.liberation.fr/france/2014/05/20/guillaume-liegey-arthur-muller-vincent-pons-europe-yes-we-can_1022586/ |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=Libération |language=fr}}

He obtained his Master's degree in Political philosophy from Sorbonne University in 2005, his Masters in International Economics from Sciences Po in 2006 and his Master of Economics from ENSAE Paris and Paris School of Economics in 2006.

Pons moved to Boston to pursue his Doctor of Philosophy in 2008 and received his Ph.D. in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2014 under the direction of Esther Duflo and Benjamin Olken.

Pons became interested in voter mobilization during Barack Obama 2008 presidential campaign.{{Cite web |title=Vincent Pons, PhD '14 |url=https://www.technologyreview.com/2016/08/23/158038/vincent-pons-phd-14/ |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=MIT Technology Review |language=en}} 

In 2012, he was invited to serve in 2012 François Hollande presidential campaign for President of France. As national director of Hollande’s field operation, he designed, implemented, and managed the largest campaigning effort in Europe’s political history.{{Cite news |last=Erlanger |first=Steven |date=2012-04-21 |title=In France, Using Lessons From Obama Campaign |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/world/europe/in-france-hollande-camp-tries-us-style-canvassing.html |access-date=2024-01-16 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite news |last=Issenberg|first=Sasha|date=2012-04-20 |title=The American Connection |url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2012/04/french-elections-francois-hollande-is-using-obamas-tactics-to-defeat-nicholas-sarkozy.html |access-date=2024-01-20 |work=Slate |language=en-US |issn=1091-2339}} This campaign, coordinated with Guillaume Liegey and Arthur Muller, is described in their book Porte à porte: Reconquérir la démocratie sur le terrain.{{Cite web |title=Porte à porte (Grand format - Broché 2013), de Guillaume Liégey, Arthur Muller, Vincent Pons {{!}} Calmann-Lévy |url=https://www.calmann-levy.fr/livre/porte-porte-9782702144473/ |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=www.calmann-levy.fr |language=fr}}

Since 2015, Pons has been employed at Harvard Business School. He served as an assistant professor between 2015 and 2020 and has been an associate professor since 2020. He is affiliated with the National Bureau of Economic Research, Center for Economic and Policy Research and Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab.{{Cite web |title=Vincent Pons |url=https://www.nber.org/people/vincent_pons |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=NBER |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2023-10-09 |title=Vincent Pons |url=https://cepr.org/about/people/vincent-pons |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=CEPR |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Vincent Pons |url=https://www.povertyactionlab.org/person/pons |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) |language=en}}

Pons' research concerns political economy – in particular the foundations of democracy: how democratic systems function, and how they can be improved.{{Cite news |date=2021-05-31 |title=Vincent Pons : « Il est impossible de comprendre les mutations de l'économie sans s'interroger sur les chocs politiques dans la société » |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2021/05/31/vincent-pons-il-est-impossible-de-comprendre-les-mutations-de-l-economie-sans-s-interroger-sur-les-chocs-politiques-dans-la-societe_6082136_3234.html |access-date=2024-01-16 |work=Le Monde.fr |language=fr}}{{Cite web |title=Personal Statement |url=https://www.vincentpons.org/personal-statement |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=My Site |language=en}}

In “Will a Five-Minute Discussion Change Your Mind?” Pons has evaluated 2012 François Hollande presidential campaign, showing that the door-to-door visits significantly contributed to Hollande’s victory.{{Cite journal |last1=Pons|first1=Vincent |date=June 2018 |title=Will a Five-Minute Discussion Change Your Mind? A Countrywide Experiment on Voter Choice in France |url=https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.20160524 |journal=American Economic Review |language=en |volume=108|issue=6 |pages=1322-1363|doi=10.1257/aer.20160524 |s2cid=155545995|issn=0002-8282}}  In subsequent work, Pons has assessed the overall effects of all campaign information and of all contextual factors on voters’ behavior.{{Cite journal |last1=Le Pennec |first1=Caroline|last2=Pons|first2=Vincent|date=May 2023 |title=How Do Campaigns Shape Vote Choice? Multi-Country Evidence from 62 Elections and 56 TV Debates |url=https://academic.oup.com/qje/article-abstract/138/2/703/7050900 |journal=Quarterly Journal of Economics|language=en |volume=138|issue=2 |pages=703–767|doi=10.1093/qje/qjad002 |s2cid=232679762|issn=0033-5533}}{{Cite journal |last1=Cantoni |first1=Enrico |last2=Pons |first2=Vincent |date=April 2022 |title=Does Context Outweigh Individual Characteristics in Driving Voting Behavior? Evidence from Relocations within the United States |url=https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.20201660 |journal=American Economic Review |language=en |volume=112 |issue=4 |pages=1226–1272 |doi=10.1257/aer.20201660 |hdl=11585/846109 |s2cid=247919195 |issn=0002-8282|hdl-access=free }}

Pons has examined the effects of Voter identification laws in the United States and voter registration barriers on electoral participation and on voter fraud.{{Cite journal |last1=Cantoni |first1=Enrico |last2=Pons |first2=Vincent |date=November 2021 |title=Strict Id Laws Don’t Stop Voters: Evidence from a U.S. Nationwide Panel, 2008–2018 |url=https://academic.oup.com/qje/article-abstract/136/4/2615/6281042 |journal=Quarterly Journal of Economics |language=en |volume=136 |issue=4 |pages=2615-2660 |doi=10.1093/qje/qjab019 |hdl=11585/821494 |s2cid=159170634 |issn=0033-5533|hdl-access=free }}{{Cite web |date=2021-08-16 |title=The Importance of Protecting Voting Rights for Voter Turnout and Economic Well-Being {{!}} CEA |url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/cea/written-materials/2021/08/16/the-importance-of-protecting-voting-rights-for-voter-turnout-and-economic-well-being/ |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=The White House |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |last=G.E.M |date=2019-02-19 |title=Do voter ID laws reduce turnout among black Americans? |url=https://www.economist.com/democracy-in-america/2019/02/19/do-voter-id-laws-reduce-turnout-among-black-americans |access-date=2024-01-20 |work=The Economist |language=en-US |issn=0013-0613}}{{Cite news |last=Douthat|first=Ross|date=2019-02-12 |title=The Myths of Voter ID |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/12/opinion/voter-id-study-republicans-democrats.html |access-date=2024-01-20 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web |last=Lopez |first=German |date=2019-02-21 |title=A new study finds voter ID laws don't reduce voter fraud — or voter turnout |url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/2/21/18230009/voter-id-laws-fraud-turnout-study-research |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=Vox |language=en}}{{Cite journal |last1=Braconnier |first1=Céline |last2=Dormagen |first2=Jean-Yves |last3=Pons |first3=Vincent |date=August 2017 |title=Voter Registration Costs and Disenfranchisement: Experimental Evidence from France |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-political-science-review/article/abs/voter-registration-costs-and-disenfranchisement-experimental-evidence-from-france/CAA4ADFFA50811B3CFAA68F1D809CAB9 |journal=American Political Science Review |language=en |volume=111 |issue=3 |pages=584–604 |doi=10.1017/S000305541700003X |s2cid=9712520 |issn=0003-0554}}

He has shown that many voters value voting expressively over voting strategically for the front-runner they dislike the least to ensure her victory.{{Cite journal |last1=Pons |first1=Vincent|last2=Tricaud |first2=Clémence |date=September 2018 |title=Expressive voting and its cost: Evidence from runoffs with two or three candidates |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.3982/ECTA15373 |journal=Econometrica |language=en |volume=86 |issue=5 |pages=1621–1649|doi=10.3982/ECTA15373 |s2cid=56023967|issn=0012-9682}}

Together with Laurent Bouton, Julia Cagé and Edgard Dewitte, Pons has studied the rise of small campaign contributions in the U.S.{{Cite news |title=More Americans are giving to political campaigns |url=https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2022/06/06/more-americans-are-giving-to-political-campaigns |access-date=2024-01-16 |newspaper=The Economist |issn=0013-0613}}

Pons is a partner of the company Liegey Muller Pons, later renamed eXplain, which he cofounded in 2013 with Guillaume Liegey and Arthur Muller.{{Cite web |title=Explain - Transformer la donnée publique en opportunités business |url=https://www.explain.fr/ |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=www.explain.fr |language=fr}} After 2013, eXplain worked on 1,500 electoral campaigns, including the presidential campaign of Emmanuel Macron during the 2017 French presidential election.{{Cite web |date=2017-06-19 |title=How Obama Won The French Election |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/macron-us-france-democrats_n_593ecf20e4b02402687bbd93 |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Halliburton |first=Rachel |title=How big data helped secure Emmanuel Macron's astounding victory |url=https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/44482/how-big-data-helped-secure-emmanuel-macrons-astounding-victory |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=www.prospectmagazine.co.uk |language=en}}{{Cite news |date=2017-04-07 |title=Trois hommes + un logiciel = l'Elysée ? |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/m-moyen-format/article/2017/04/07/trois-hommes-un-logiciel-l-elysee_5107263_4497271.html |access-date=2024-01-16 |work=Le Monde.fr |language=fr}}{{Cite web |date=2016-05-10 |title=Les stratèges de la grande marche d'Emmanuel Macron |url=https://www.lexpress.fr/politique/les-strateges-de-la-grande-marche-d-emmanuel-macron_1790553.html |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=L'Express |language=fr}} Since 2018, the company has provided AI tools to companies in contact with local governments. {{Cite web |last=Lechevallier |first=Anne-Sophie |title=IA et politique : en France, les start-up indiquent la marche à suivre |url=https://www.liberation.fr/economie/ia-et-politique-en-france-les-start-up-indiquent-le-marche-a-suivre-20230503_E4KWLZGPIVFSXH7ADO4OZKEF4U/ |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=Libération |language=fr}} In 2023, the company raised six million euros.{{Cite web |last=FRENCHWEB.FR |first=LA REDACTION DE |date=2023-04-17 |title=[Série A] eXplain lève 6 millions d'euros auprès d'ARJO (Didier le Menestrel) et Holnest (Jean-Michel Aulas) |url=https://www.frenchweb.fr/serie-a-explain-leve-6-millions-deuros-aupres-darjo-didier-le-menestrel-et-holnest-jean-michel-aulas/442077 |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=FRENCHWEB.FR |language=fr-FR}}{{Cite web |date=2023-04-03 |title=Explain, l'IA qui aide les entreprises à faire des affaires avec les acteurs publics |url=https://www.lesechos.fr/start-up/deals/explain-lia-qui-aide-les-entreprises-a-faire-des-affaires-avec-les-acteurs-publics-1921716 |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=Les Echos |language=fr}}

Pons has written articles for Harvard Business Review and for French newspapers including Le Monde and Les Echos. He has been a columnist for L'Express and Les Echos.{{Cite news |date=2022-11-04 |title=4 Ways Businesses Can Help Uphold Democracy |url=https://hbr.org/2022/11/4-ways-businesses-can-help-uphold-democracy |access-date=2024-01-16 |work=Harvard Business Review |issn=0017-8012}}{{Cite web |date=2022-11-11 |title=Midterms aux Etats-Unis : les trois conséquences à prévoir pour les prochains mois |url=https://www.lexpress.fr/economie/midterms-aux-etats-unis-les-trois-consequences-a-prevoir-pour-les-prochains-mois_2183365.html |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=L'Express |language=fr}}{{Cite web |date=2023-04-03 |title=Dépolariser la France |url=https://www.lesechos.fr/idees-debats/editos-analyses/depolariser-la-france-1921580 |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=Les Echos |language=fr}}

• Susan and Paul M. Sniderman Best Experimental Paper in Europe Award (2019){{Cite web |title=The Susan and Paul M. Sniderman Best Experimental Paper in Europe Award |url=https://www.uib.no/en/digsscore/bgb/award |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=University of Bergen |language=en}}
• Nominated for Best Young French Economist Award, 2021{{Cite web |title=Prix du Meilleur Jeune Économiste 2021 |url=https://lecercledeseconomistes.fr/evenements/prix-du-meilleur-jeune-economiste-2021/ |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=Le Cercle des économistes |language=fr-FR}}
• American Economic Journal: Applied Economics Excellence in Reviewing Award (2021){{Cite journal |date=2022-05-01 |title=American Economic Journal: Applied Economics |url=https://pubs.aeaweb.org/doi/10.1257/pandp.112.702 |journal=AEA Papers and Proceedings |language=en |volume=112 |pages=702–708 |doi=10.1257/pandp.112.702 |issn=2574-0768}}
• Journal of the European Economic Association Excellence in Refereeing Award (2021){{Cite web |title=JEEA Excellence in Refereeing Award 2021 {{!}} EEA |url=https://www.eeassoc.org/news/jeea-excellence-refereeing-award-2021 |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=www.eeassoc.org}}
• American Economic Review: Insights Excellence in Refereeing Award (2021){{Cite journal |date=2022-05-01 |title=American Economic Review: Insights |url=https://pubs.aeaweb.org/doi/10.1257/pandp.112.687 |journal=AEA Papers and Proceedings |language=en |volume=112 |pages=687–694 |doi=10.1257/pandp.112.687 |issn=2574-0768}}
• Poets&Quants Best 40-Under-40 MBA Professors (2022){{Cite web |last=Bleizeffer |first=Kristy |date=2022-05-13 |title=2022 Best 40-Under-40 MBA Professors: Vincent Pons, Harvard Business School |url=https://poetsandquants.com/2022/05/13/2022-best-40-under-40-mba-professors-vincent-pons-harvard-business-school/?pq-category=best-professors&pq-category-2=mba&pq-category-3=mba-faculty |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=Poets&Quants |language=en-US}}
• Best Young French Economist Award, 2023{{Cite web |date=2023-05-22 |title=Julia Cagé et Vincent Pons, Prix du meilleur jeune économiste 2023 |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2023/05/22/julia-cage-et-vincent-pons-prix-du-meilleur-jeune-economiste-2023_6174292_3234.html |access-date=2024-01-20 |website=Le Monde |language=fr}}{{Cite web |date=2023-05-22 |title=Le palmarès du Prix du meilleur jeune économiste |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2023/05/22/le-palmares-du-prix-du-meilleur-jeune-economiste_6174301_3234.html |access-date=2024-01-20 |website=Le Monde |language=fr}}{{Cite web |date=2023-05-25 |title=Julia Cagé and Vincent Pons recipients of the 2023 Best Young French Economist Award |url=https://cepr.org/about/news/julia-cage-and-vincent-pons-recipients-2023-best-young-french-economist-award/ |access-date=2024-01-20 |website=CEPR |language=en-US}}

1. How do Campaigns Shape Vote Choice? Multicountry Evidence from 62 Elections and 56 TV Debates (with Caroline Le Pennec), Quarterly Journal of Economics, 138(2), pp. 703-767, May 2023
2. Does Context Outweigh Individual Characteristics in Driving Voting Behavior? Evidence from Relocations Within the U.S. (with Enrico Cantoni), American Economic Review, 112(4), pp. 1226-1272, April 2022
3. Strict ID Laws Don't Stop Voters: Evidence from a U.S. Nationwide Panel, 2008–2018 (with Enrico Cantoni), Quarterly Journal of Economics, 136(4), pp. 2615-2660, November 2021
4. Expressive Voting and Its Cost: Evidence from Runoffs with Two or Three Candidates (with Clémence Tricaud), Econometrica, 86(5), pp. 1621–1649, September 2018
5. Will a Five-Minute Discussion Change Your Mind? A Countrywide Experiment on Voter Choice in France, American Economic Review, 108(6), pp. 1322–1363, June 2018
6. Happiness on Tap: Piped Water Adoption in Urban Morocco (with Florencia Devoto, Esther Duflo, Pascaline Dupas, and William Pariente), American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 4(4), pp. 68–99, November 2012{{Cite journal |last1=Devoto |first1=Florencia |last2=Duflo |first2=Esther |last3=Dupas |first3=Pascaline |last4=Pariente |first4=William |last5=Pons |first5=Vincent |date=November 2012 |title=Happiness on Tap: Piped Water Adoption in Urban Morocco |url=https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/pol.4.4.68 |journal=American Economic Journal: Economic Policy |language=en |volume=4|issue=4 |pages=68-99|doi=10.1257/pol.4.4.68 |s2cid=7419402|issn=1945-7731|hdl=1721.1/76281 |hdl-access=free }}

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Category:French economists

Category:21st-century French economists

Category:Harvard Business School faculty

Category:Paris School of Economics alumni

Category:Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pons, Vincent}}

Category:1983 births

Category:Living people